11/1/1856 Saturday Rainy & high winds. Sewing on my dress.
JCH: Very high wind. We expected Clara Calkins & Mrs Ben Moore here, did not come. Sarah Showerman & I visited to aunt Julia. Pa & John went to Election.
11/2/1856 Sunday. We attended church up south. Heard that Hellen S. was worse. Elder Dorman preached to day. The choir is in a ginger again. Mr. Getten leads now. Lorette Cole & Harriet Clark are married last Thursday.
JCH: Went up south to meeting. Elder Dorman preached. After noon he preached a sort of political sermon. He thought if Jesus Christ was on earth he would vote for John C. Fremont.
11/3/1856 Monday Pleasant with a bit of rain. We washed together.
JCH: Plowing all day. Pleasant with a little rain. Tomorrow is to be decided the great contest for President, Fremont and Dayton, Fillmore and Donaldson, Buchanan and Breckenridge.
11/4/1856 Tuesday. We expected Clara Calkins & Mrs. Ben Moore here, did not come. Sarah Showerman & I visited to aunt Julia. Pa & John went to election.
JCH: Morning pleasant. Presidential Election. I voted for Filmore and Donaldson, a day to be remembered. A great excitement in United States to day. Wind blew very hard at night, in the village it blew the Presbyterian steeple down.
11/5/1856 Wednesday. Mrs. B. Moore & Mrs. Clair Calkins visited me. Mary & I visited with them. John took up the note for the horse that Pa had against him.
JCH: Plowing. Genesee County gone Fremont. It snowed some to day and quite cold. Heard that Filmore had carried the City of New York.
11/6/1856 Thursday. Cool & pleasant. I made some watermelon preserves. Our folks sold 5 pigs & 1 old hog at five dollars, weight 1210 lbs. John paid Pa for half of the sheep that he bought of James Shepard, it was eleven dollar & quarter.
JCH: Sold one old hog and five pigs at five dollars per hundred. Buchanon possibly elected president. This state gone for Fremont. Do not know the exact result yet. I may go in to the house.
11/7/1856 Friday. Sewing on my dress, uncle Asahel here at work. Delos Marsh and Frank Hamilton here all night.
JCH: Plowing part of the day. Father Shepard sold his steers for 58 dollars the same that he gave for them some time ago. Mr. Asahel Shepard at work on the smoke house.
11/8/1856 Saturday. Uncle Asahel here at work on the smoke house yet. Sewing on my dress.
JCH: Asahel Shepard here at work. It rained very hard some part of to day. Heard that Buchanan was elected President.
11/9/1856 Sunday John & I attended church up south.
JCH: Went up south to meeting. Read the New York Times to night Election news and Kansas affairs.
11/10/1856 Monday. We washed together. John & I went down to Mr. Charles at night. Bargained for a parlor stove. 5$ the price.
JCH: Went down to the black smith shop and had a clovis and the buggy fixed. Plowed in the afternoon. Went down to Mr Charles in the evening and bought a parlor stove for $5 dollars.
11/11/1856 Tuesday I cleaned the front rooms. Tired.
JCH: Plowing all day. Father Shepard nearly finished the smoke house.
11/12/1856 Wednesday. John and I went to the village, carried away my butter, 65 lbs at 22cents a pound. I paid up at Holdens.
JCH: Finished plowing the meadow. Went down to Batavia. Took down over sixty pounds of butter. Brought home my stove.
11/13/1856 Thursday We set up the parlor stove this morning. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence and Mr. and Mrs. Frisbe visited here this afternoon and evening.
JCH: Set up my parlor stove this morning. Mr Frisbee and wife, Mr Lawrence and wife in the evening.
11/14/1856 Friday. Snowed all day. Pa & John went to the village. I at work on my six-penny dress.
JCH: Went down to Batavia and bought a pair of pants for three dollars. It snowed quite fast all day. Mr Rogers paid up for the cider.
11/15/1856 Saturday. Augustus Conklin & wife here. Asineth is no better. Our folks started for Weathersfield. Olive called sold her 20 lbs of butter she paid me $4 for it.
JCH: Went to James Shepard and ground my ax. Father and mother Shepard went up to Weathersfield. Mr Conklin and wife here to dinner. Commenced chopping a little to day.
11/16/1856 Sunday At home all day. At night went to the north school house meeting (a long day).
JCH: It snowed some to day. Went down to the stone school house to meeting. Elder Davis preached. Quite a number.
11/17/1856 Monday Snowed hard all day. I washed. John chopping.
JCH: It snowed hard most all day about three inches deep. Chopped about 2 cords of wood. Lost a pair of mittens, I left them in the woods.
11/18/1856 Tuesday. Clark Newton & Mrs. Elvira King visited here day and evening. Also Harriet, Laura & Sarah West here in evening.
JCH: Chopped wood in the forenoon. Clark Newton and Elvira King were here in the afternoon and evening. Harriet and Laura and Sarah West in the evening.
11/19/1856 Wednesday. Hellen Hamilton came here this morning. She & I visited Hellen Showerman afternoon.
JCH: Ransom Shepard here helping me chop. We chopped four cords.
11/20/1856 Thanksgiving Day. Hellen Hamilton here yet. Elizebeth visited here to day. Israel came over to dinner.
JCH: Chopped wood most all day. Helped Israel Quance grind his butcher knife and we ground my ax.
11/21/1856 Friday Hellen Hamilton went home about noon. Aunt Sarah Shepard visited a part of the day. Sewing a little on my dress. Our folks do not get home yet.
JCH: Chopped all day. Cut 2 cords and a half of wood. Went down to Mr. Dascombes cider mill and got some cider. Clear and pleasant. Helen Hamilton rode home with Azro Norton.
11/22/1856 Saturday I visited to Grandmother Shepards. Our folks came here to night.
JCH: Chopped a cord of wood this morning. Went down to Batavia. Bought a pork barrel and bought a pair of mittens. Went up to Mr Shepards after Lorette. Father and Mother Shepard got home from Weathersfield.
11/23/1856 Sunday. Pleasant & cool. John & I attended Church up south. Mr. Sprague is appointed Chorister. Had a full choir to day. We went up to the school house to meeting at night. Heard that Wm Johnson is dead.
JCH: Went up south to meeting, Mr. Sprague was appointed Chorister. The fuss settled. Went up to the school house in the evening. Heard that William was dead that he died in Wisconsin.
11/24/1856 Monday. We killed hogs to day. Pa & John killed one apiece. Uncle Peter Showerman helped them. Ma & I washed this morning. We tried the lard after noon.
JCH: Pleasant, warm for the season. We killed hogs to day. Pa & John killed one apiece. Uncle Peter Showerman helped them. Ma & I washed this morning. We tried the lard afternoon.
11/25/1856 Tuesday Rainy afternoon. Ma & I took care of the lard this morning, had about 32 lbs apiece.
JCH: Chopped wood in the forenoon in the swamp. Went up to James Shepards to see Mrs. Bryan a cousin from the west. She lives in Iowa. It rained in the afternoon.
11/26/1856 Wednesday. Uncle Andrew Shepard's girl was here to day. Her name is Belinda Bryan. Old Mr. & Mrs. Mallison came with them. They start for Iowa tomorrow afternoon.
JCH: Fixed the shed and cleaned up the floor. Mr. Bryan and wife and Mr. Mallison and wife and Asahel Shepard were here to dinner.
11/27/1856 Thursday I cleaned the chamber. Olive called. I sent five things to Lorinda. Charles Lamkin here all night.
JCH: Cleaning up wheat all day. Charles Lamkin here all night.
11/28/1856 Friday John & I visited to Calvin Loomis, good visit.
JCH: Lorette and I went up to Mr Calvin Loomises had a good visit. Father Shepard took down some wheat to Batavia to sell and grind, had some buck wheat ground, new kind, very good, 11 and six for wheat.
11/29/1856 Saturday. Snowed all day. Had about 4 inches. John & Daniel thought some of going to Michigan to buy mink skins. Concluded not to go at present.
JCH: Cleaned up some corn and carried the milk home and went over to James Shepard to see Dan about going to Michigan. Went up to fathers and borrowed 70 dollars. Father Shepard bought a cow of Walter Cole for 50 dollars.
11/30/1856 Sunday Our folks went up south to church with a cutter. We went down to the schoolhouse to meeting. Davis preached.
JCH: Went down to the north school house to meeting. Quite good sleighing. Was up to James Shepards just at night.
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